The story of proper paper happened in what is now the People's Republic of China. Like the indigenous people of Egypt, the Chinese had, almost 50 centuries ago, developed a type of pictographic writing. The Egyptians too had been using many different kinds of things to write on, notably pieces of bamboo and silk woven into a fine fabric and it is possible that the barkcloth they used for other reasons derived out of the Paper. Mulberry was made use of also.
Legend tells us that in 105 years after the birth of Christ an official named Tsai Lung, invented usable paper, although it is almost certain from archaeological digs that actually it was being worked with in China for at least two hundred years before him.
In olden times setting down words was generally on some derivative of bamboo or on strips of silk, which were called Ji in those days. However, the soaring cost of silk and bamboo being very heavy, these materials were inconvenient. Around then Tsai Lun thought of making use of bark, fish nets, rags, and hemp. In 105AD he made a report to the emperor about the production of paper and got many accolades for his inventions. Consequently, from those days paper has been availed of every place and is called the "paper of Marquis Tsai".
If indeed this accolade is relevant, will very likely not ever be known! But the most important consideration has to be that it was discovered that if they ground some plant-derived substances in to a mash, expel unwanted substances, float the mash in liquid, filter it onto cloth sheets and allow it to dry. After the drying process was complete, it compressed into a firm, robust sheet that was decidedly light, and providing it was not allowed to get wet, proved very tough.
It's a fact that this most simple of papermaking technologies is still in use in exactly a similar way in and around Tibet and Nepal, the first regions to take the technolgies from South East Asia. A simple frame utilizes a cloth manufactured from cotton pulled and held over one side, watery mache is poured into the far end and spread around until it has reached a level. After which it is left suspended that will enable the water to drain out of it and the mush to dry in to a parchment sheet which can be removed by stripping off.
As time passed a very talented individual worked out that building a frame with ribbing and placing a fine removable bamboo mat across this, would let the paper-making process to be speeded up to a great degree. Rather than utilizing one mold for every paper sheet, consequently severely limiting the amount of sheets that are able to be produced at one time, a stack of sieved grume was able to be built up layer upon layer, with just a strip of cotton thread between them which would facilitate later separation. The stack would then be pressed slightly, and each layer of paste moved to a board to dry.